Qing Chen knew that Qing Zhun left the battlefield at the last moment of his life. As for where he went and whom he saw in his final moments, even Qing Chen didn't know the answer.
Now, seeing the Shadow Gate, it means that Qing Ji before him is the person chosen by his brother.
"Did brother spend his last moments seeing you?" Qing Chen asked.
But Qing Ji shook his head: "Not me, he only instructed that the Shadow Gate should be left to me."
"The white ginkgo leaf on your chest, is it to commemorate my brother?" Qing Chen asked.
Qing Ji nodded: "The forty-nine days haven't ended yet."
Qing Chen said: "Do you have any more ginkgo leaves? Give me one."
Qing Ji seemed to have expected Qing Chen's request. He took out a ginkgo leaf from his sleeve and handed it to Qing Chen:
"Put it on."
Qing Chen carefully pinned the ginkgo leaf to his chest and gently stroked it with his index finger.The Shadow Gate is like a reference book. Qing Zhun used the Forbidden Artifact to tell Qing Chen who is the most trustworthy person. Qing Chen believes in Qing Zhun's judgment, so Qing Ji inviting him to City 5 definitely wouldn't have malicious intent.
Qing Ji is not the enemy.
"Fourteen days, you can arrange it as you wish. I also want to see what you intend to do with me," Qing Chen said calmly.
Qing Ji glanced at him: "Don't be too nervous, it's not like we're going to force you to go to the battlefield. I'll give you ten more minutes to take care of things."
Qing Chen first looked at Dayu and Zad: "The only thing I need to ask for is to help send the God's Blood to Luo Wanya. I've already slid down the north slope of Pearl Peak, and I may leave directly after returning. Ni Ergou will be waiting for you at the foot of the mountain to open the Key Gate for you."
Zard was heartbroken: "Are we parting already?!"
"Right," Qing Chen looked at Dayu again: "Don't go too far from Zard. He's not very bright and is easy to be targeted. The Restorative Shroud is in your hands. If anything happens to him, you must save him immediately. You two had better go to the Wilderness Settlement, and you can help Yang Yang."
Dayu snorted coldly: "You don't need to remind me."
Qing Chen then looked at Chen Jiazhang: "Master, where do you plan to go next?"
"Just drift along," Chen Jiazhang said nonchalantly: "I heard that the Fire Pit is nearing the Brewing Festival, so I'll go there for drinks."
Elder: "The Fire Pit doesn't welcome you."
Qin Yiyi: "The Fire Pit welcomes you."
Elder: "…"
Qing Chen didn't persuade Chen Jiazhang to cheer up; the Knight's path has to be walked by himself.
He finally looked at Qin Yiyi, hesitating, and finally said: "Take care."
After speaking, Qing Chen turned and walked towards the Shadow Gate.
Qin Yiyi moved to approach Qing Chen, but was held tightly by the Elder.
Only after Qing Chen disappeared into the Shadow Gate did he release her.
Qin Yiyi said aggrievedly: "I finally saw him, why did you do that?!"
The Elder said softly: "Did he say anything more to you when he left? Didn't you hear his identity? This kind of person who is going to be the Head of the Qingshi Clan only cares about ambition and power. Their lives are dedicated to their careers, and their future does not include you!"
Qin Yiyi pouted: "He just doesn't have time to consider these things now. I understand him; so many people are his responsibility, and he can't afford to consider these things."
"Little Ancestor, stop comforting yourself," the Elder was furious: "Come home with me."
Speaking, the Elder pulled Qin Yiyi's wrist and walked southwest. Qin Yiyi was like a stubborn donkey being dragged along, exhausting the Elder.
Chen Jiazhang happily followed: "I think Xiaoyi is pretty good, pure."
"It's none of your business," the Elder turned around and glared: "Stop meddling in our Fire Pit's affairs."
Chen Jiazhang raised an eyebrow: "How are you talking? We just helped you block the Chen Family army!"
"Bad luck!"
The two old men argued for a long time, until they were all flushed and parched.
During the intermission, the Elder said, "Xiaoyi, give me the water bag, I'll have some water… Xiaoyi?"
The Elder turned around, only to find that Qin Yiyi had disappeared at some point.
The Elder was so angry that he jumped three feet high: "It's a disaster!"
Needless to say, Qin Yiyi must have secretly slipped away to City 5.
This girl has always been very opinionated.
When she was able to secretly leave her family to go to the Fire Pit, she could also secretly go to City 5 now.
Countdown 88:00:00.
Qing Chen walked out of an alley, looking at the bustling streets and the towering signs everywhere, Xiaolongkan, Dalongyi, Long Yao Meier, everywhere was hot pot and noodle shops.
There was also a Fu Fu Qiao Foot Massage.
This city gave him a different feeling. The energy of a bustling city was stronger here than in other places, and it was more lively.
Even the holographic projections overhead were long chopsticks and hot pots steaming with heat. The red oil was bubbling in the pot, looking very appetizing.
But there is a problem, the dishes in that pot seem a bit monotonous…
Then, Qing Chen saw PE agents patrolling the streets, something rarely seen in other cities.
Moreover, Qing Chen suddenly discovered a problem. Half of the people in this city were wearing white ginkgo leaves.
Qing Ji walked slowly in front, and Qing Chen asked: "I thought you would take me directly to Ginkgo Mountain."
Qing Ji said expressionlessly: "I have to let you see this city. This is Xiaozhun's wish."
Qing Chen was stunned: "My brother's wish?"
"That's right," Qing Ji nodded: "After you left the Inner World for the Outer World, he had the chance to see that…"
Qing Chen knew that the "that" probably referred to Yan Liuyuan.
Qing Ji continued: "At that time, Xiaozhun was already a Shadow. He asked that person: What does the Outer World look like? Will Xiaocheng be uncomfortable when he returns to the Inner World? What entertainment activities are there in the Outer World? What do people in the Outer World eat? What is the most delicious food? What are the people in the Outer World doing?"
"That person answered him: The most delicious food in the Outer World is hot pot with chili oil and small noodles. People in the Outer World are also different from those in the Inner World. They can walk freely on the streets, and it is very safe. People in the Outer World live relatively well-off, without so many loans and oppression, and no one will cut your kidneys when you walk on the road. The entertainment activity of people in the Outer World is foot massage, which is quite comfortable."
"So, Xiaozhun made a condition to the Clan Head. He could continue to be the Qing Family Shadow, but City 5 must be more like the Outer World, with hot pot, foot massage parlors, and people a little wealthier, and the roads a little safer. He didn't want you to feel alienated when you came back here. So the Clan Head, under pressure from various factions, issued some bills to this city alone, reducing taxes, providing subsidies, securing supplies, and improving the crime-solving rate…"
"These substantial benefits are remembered by the people, so when everyone learned of his passing, a quarter of the civilians voluntarily wore ginkgo leaves to commemorate him."
Qing Chen stared blankly at everything around him. No wonder this city was so strange and different.
His brother used what he had heard from Yan Liuyuan to create this strange city for himself.
Qing Zhun was in the class, unable to truly change the whole world. All he could do was make City 5 more like the Outer World so that when he returned here, he would not feel so alienated.
The other party had promised that when he came back, he would give him the whole world. Then, first of all, it had to be a world that he liked.
Therefore, when he just arrived in City 5, Qing Ji didn't take him to Ginkgo Mountain, but to the streets, to see everything Qing Zhun had done for him.
This clumsy way of giving was so touching that Qing Chen didn't know what to say for a while.
Qing Chen asked: "Were you close to my brother?"
Qing Ji thought for a while and said: "So-so."
"What does so-so mean?" Qing Chen asked in confusion.
"We don't often meet, I wouldn't die for him, but I will avenge him. That's what "so-so' means," Qing Ji said.
Qing Chen asked again: "Do you know the conditions for admission to the Shadow Gate?"
"I know," Qing Ji glanced at Qing Chen: "I have a child, Qing Wu is my son."
"Where's Qing Wu? He seems to have been missing for a long time," Qing Chen said.
"Cultivation, a warrior only has three things in his life, and Cultivation is the most important one," Qing Ji said.
"What are the other two?" Qing Chen was curious.
"The second is, after Cultivation, to pass on one's skills to the Imperial Family. The third is to have children, not to leave no descendants, not to break the lineage," Qing Ji answered expressionlessly.
"It's really… an indescribable life goal," Qing Chen sighed.
At this time, Qing Ji brought Qing Chen to a dilapidated building.
Qing Chen felt something: "This is where my brother and sister-in-law used to live?"
"Yes," Qing Ji said: "It's still the same. There are Mute servants who come to clean every week. Don't worry, no one knows you're living here. You can settle in first and then go for a walk around. No one will disturb you."
"Qing Shi, Qing Xing, Qing Yuan, are they all in this city?" Qing Chen asked.
"Qing Yuan is, but he's hiding. Qing Shi and Qing Xing are not hiding, but they rarely show up," Qing Ji replied: "You should be careful, Qing Wen's mother, Qing Yun, is also here. She firmly believes that you killed her son."
Qing Chen sighed: "Aren't you making me come back to take the blame? What exactly do you want me to do?"
Qing Ji pressed the elevator, 17th floor.
He said calmly: "Dating."
"What?" Qing Chen was full of question marks at this moment.
He came here because the great demon Qing Ji specially made a trip to the wilderness and brought the arrangements of the Head of the Qingshi Clan.
Qing Chen had guessed many possibilities, such as asking him to report his work, to participate in some power struggle, to meet some important figures…
He never expected that the other party would spend so much effort, putting out the whole set of Nanobots manufacturing lines, as well as so many supplies, just to bring him back for a blind date!
Crazy!
Qing Ji calmly said: "I had Qing Wu at your age. What you do every day is too dangerous. Having offspring is safer; the lineage cannot be broken."
Qing Chen: "… It's completely unnecessary."
"You don't have a choice now, your freedom belongs to us for fourteen days. But don't worry, if you don't like anyone, no one will force you to do anything."
Qing Chen "???"
Qing Chen fell into thought. According to his brother Qing Zhun, the person on Ginkgo Mountain would never do boring things. Is the meaning of passing on the family line significant? For that Clan Head, it may indeed be significant, but it is not to the extent that he would force himself to have a blind date and have offspring.
Perhaps, there are other things waiting for him.
Arriving on the 17th floor, room 1722, after opening the door, the inside was spotless. The thirty-odd square meter house looked cramped, but warm.
Qing Chen suddenly froze, because this was exactly the same layout as the small house he had seen in his dream, one room, one living room, and one bathroom.
However, in the dream, he lived alone in the bedroom because his whole family hoped that he would have a better living environment so that he could study hard for the Qing He University entrance exam.
Here, there was a not-so-wide bed in the bedroom, only 1.5 meters wide. He could imagine the warm scene of his brother and sister-in-law embracing each other in bed.
There was a small table by the window, and a small wardrobe next to the table.
Except for the furniture layout, all the layouts here were the same as in his dream.
But this means that his dream was not completely virtual, but after Qing Zhun's will merged with the world, it still affected him.
That was not a real "illusory dream', but a thought his brother left for him, telling him what the best life should look like.
Wait, if that's the case, doesn't it also mean that after his brother merged with the will of the world, he didn't completely lose his self-awareness?
The other party just merged, he didn't disappear.
Qing Chen suddenly looked at Qing Ji: "If… I mean, if my brother hasn't completely disappeared after merging with the will of the world, what should I do to separate him? Even if it's just a consciousness, it's fine," Qing Chen said: "I've met someone who exists completely as consciousness, Li Shentan! Since he can, why can't my brother?"
Qing Ji also fell into thought: "I'm afraid only gods can do that, but gods are no longer in this world."